by Pat Rapacchiano

Created on: July 31, 2010

There is no question that a career in law enforcement can at times be quite dangerous.  Most law enforcement officials enter the profession because they want to make a real difference in fighting crime.  However, there are some law enforcement professions that are quite dangerous and can place the officers life on the line every time they leave to go to work in the morning.

The DEA or Drug Enforcement Administration is a very risky and potentially dangerous job.  A DEA agent works to keep the streets safe from illegal drugs and hopefully put the dope dealers behind bars.  Nearly all DEA agents that work on the streets do it undercover.  The Drug Enforcement Agency was initially created in 1970 and the agents have been fighting the war on drugs ever since. 

DEA agents receive tips on potential drug dealers along with their location.  The agents may set up shop outside of the drug dealer’s place of home or business in hopes of catching the agents in the act of selling drugs.  In addition, many times agents will make deals with drug informants for the exchange of information leading to the arrest and conviction of drug lords. 

An undercover DEA agent is one of the most dangerous jobs that law enforcement official could possibly have.  The majority of hardcore drug dealers is violent and would not think twice about killing or severely injuring an officer of the law.  In addition, keep in mind most dealers are high most of the time, which makes them even more dangerous and likely to kill. 

The majority of drugs that the agents are seeing on the streets are crack cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and Oxycontin.  Many of these drugs are imported from Mexico and other foreign countries.  The goal of the DEA agent is to stop the import of drugs by nailing the chief drug dealer.  Many times street drugs are tied to dangerous drug cartels.  Drug cartels will come after the agent as well as their entire family is need be.  Drug dealers want to get high and make money at the same time and will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Next to the DEA, another dangerous job is that of the border patrol.  The border patrol officers patrol the Mexican border in an attempt to confiscate drugs and stop illegal aliens from entering the United States.  The border patrol officers must patrol the border in the blazing heat and this must be done 24 hours a day.  Many times the drug cartel will send children across the border to deliver drugs and collect the money.  Drug dealers feel it is safe to send the children across the border.  The officers cannot always enforce the law to minors due to their age and other circumstances.  The border runs through Nevada, Texas and San Diego.  The weapons the patrol officers carry are sometimes no match for the members of the drug cartel. 

Finally, most people don’t realize the risks that the DEA and border patrol officers take each and every day.  These officials are trained to make the world a better place for all of us by fighting the war on drugs and keeping out illegal aliens.

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